Expats’ anger and dismay at dual pricing for rapid COVID test in Phuket

[petedk]

Didn't the government talk about adding some kind of medical surcharge to cover unforeseen medical expenses  to foreigners arriving in Thailand?

 

[digibum]

8 minutes ago, billd766 said:

As I remember and read on TVF, tourism in Thailand and Phuket has been declining over a long time.

 

You should not do your research on TVF.  Horrible place for it. 

 

Pre-Covid, Thailand had nearly 40 million arrivals.  That's almost 3x what they had 10 years prior. 

 

If you start off with completely erroneous facts, you'll likely end up with completely erroneous conclusions. 

 

10 minutes ago, billd766 said:

When foreigners have a great time on holiday they tell all their friends. When they have a bad time they tell the world.

 

Something people have been claiming for 30 years, yet tourism keeps growing. 

 

I think if an assumption has been wrong for 30 years, we can safely say that it's wrong.  Even a broken watch is right twice a day but most TVF members who keep spouting this opinion don't even have that good of a track record. 

[fondue zoo]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

 

Residents don't use taxis. They use their own vehicles.

Drinks are NOT 4 x more expensive than the rest of the country. That is just <deleted>.

No, the Thai locals don't dislike us. I have extensive dealings with them.

Maybe they just dislike you.

 

I heard the humpy bumpy was the "angry" type too   ????

 

[tyga]

1 hour ago, digibum said:

 

Yes, I'm trying to imagine telling my Thai wife that I cancelled a vacation that she was looking forward to because I was protesting a 500 baht charge on principle.  LOL.  

 

Though, I would imagine, like most keyboard warriors and justice seekers, he made that part up.  It's the eternal threat of every farang to vote with their wallet, yet they never do it. 

 

How many have threatened to move?  How many have threatened to quit coming? 

 

Yet, years later, they're still on TVF complaining about the same things.  ????

 

My mrs has been bugging me to go to Phuket for nostalgic reasons having grown up there and studied there. I held out for years (having vowed to myself a long time ago never to go back) but finally relented over Songkran figuring the locals might be a bit more mellow, similar to they were after the tsunami, and there was a window of opportunity to get the trip out the way once and for all. You can't make this up but the very first 'local' I came into contact with ordering me around and telling me where to park because it was in front of her stall but legal (I had just literally waited for a hiso thai family to vacate that space  and not a word said to them of course) I was told farang don't understand when I pointed this out to her and in no time at all I was an <deleted> farang just like her husband. I was told I was not welcome on Phuket (from the horse mouth) and did me a favour because the mrs witnessed the whole event and was more angry than I was. So I really really wish they had put this stupid charge in a week ago and while they are at it, put it up to 100,000 THb so no farang is even a little bit tempted to visit that <deleted>hole.  BTW, it used to be beautiful before they turned half of it into soi Nern Plubwan by the sea. What a disaster!

[bluesofa]

22 minutes ago, petedk said:

Didn't the government talk about adding some kind of medical surcharge to cover unforeseen medical expenses  to foreigners arriving in Thailand?

Spot on - they talked about it.

[BEngBKK]

The reason being the cost of  the test for Thai people is covered by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Ministry of Health.

... I am farrang and pay to social sequrity every month!

Edited April 23, 2021 by BEngBKK

[condobrit001]

Who are these "angered and dismayed" expats - is there a list, or is this another example of journalistic invention? The only likely ones upset would be the legions of bar stool jockeys who would spend more than this in half an hours boozing in any case!

[digibum]

53 minutes ago, tyga said:

My mrs has been bugging me to go to Phuket for nostalgic reasons having grown up there and studied there. I held out for years (having vowed to myself a long time ago never to go back) but finally relented over Songkran figuring the locals might be a bit more mellow, similar to they were after the tsunami, and there was a window of opportunity to get the trip out the way once and for all. You can't make this up but the very first 'local' I came into contact with ordering me around and telling me where to park because it was in front of her stall but legal (I had just literally waited for a hiso thai family to vacate that space  and not a word said to them of course) I was told farang don't understand when I pointed this out to her and in no time at all I was an <deleted> farang just like her husband. I was told I was not welcome on Phuket (from the horse mouth) and did me a favour because the mrs witnessed the whole event and was more angry than I was. So I really really wish they had put this stupid charge in a week ago and while they are at it, put it up to 100,000 THb so no farang is even a little bit tempted to visit that <deleted>hole.  BTW, it used to be beautiful before they turned half of it into soi Nern Plubwan by the sea. What a disaster!

 

What part of Phuket was this?  I wouldn't be surprised if it was Patong.  That place will never change (for the better). 

[DrMJA]

Its not about the 500฿, , it’s the principle! 
Apparently paying taxes every year, which includes an extra (double pricing) foreigner fee for every thing I do, doesn’t qualify for much! 

Not to worry, it’ll all come back to slap you upside your  greedy Thai politician head.

[digibum]

1 minute ago, condobrit001 said:

Who are these "angered and dismayed" expats - is there a list, or is this another example of journalistic invention? The only likely ones upset would be the legions of bar stool jockeys who would spend more than this in half an hours boozing in any case!

 

I always get a chuckle when any news story says something like "people on Twitter" or "social media backlash"

[Chiang Mai Bill]

I see no problem in giving the vaccine and tests free to one's own people -- and 'foreigners' having to pay!

 

And B500 isn't much -- not many beers!  Stop moaning!

[SymS]

2 hours ago, WineOh said:

And i'm baffled at anyone who wants to visit an island where the taxi mafia rips you off or wants to harm you

I also felt the same about Taxi drivers in the past, but now we are like best buddies. How did I achieve this feat? I simply walk.

When I discovered the frustration of dealing with taxi drivers, I decided walking was the best solution. It's good for health, it saves me money, reduces my stress levels, and I've heard it's good for the planet. Now, when I talk with taxi drivers, I feel happy talking about the weather, women, how I'm just going to walk to that location five kilometers away, etc... with a big smile on my face!!!

Edited April 23, 2021 by SymS
grammar

[mancub]

Thai are covered by the NHSO, foreigners( tourists) should be covered by TAT. Each group contributes to the government coffers . As for dual pricing, as with national parks etc, doubt if international arrival tourists are mostly even aware of it. 

Wonder if this bt 500 fee is open to exploitation as the " We travel together " scheme was ?

[thailand49]

Thailand leaders want to get back to normal the pandemic has not only brought the old along but has officially made it the new norm. 

 

Nothing has changed they were doing it before and today doing it again they wanted to get back to norm well we got it!????

[high plane drifter]

Thais will never make it easy for outsiders to live and spend foreign money in their country,

 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, mancub said:

Thai are covered by the NHSO, foreigners( tourists) should be covered by TAT. Each group contributes to the government coffers . As for dual pricing, as with national parks etc, doubt if international arrival tourists are mostly even aware of it. 

Wonder if this bt 500 fee is open to exploitation as the " We travel together " scheme was ?

Perhaps the 500 Baht covers a free second opinion?

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Most have absolutely no interest in assimilation or integration into Thai society, yet they want to be treated the same as a citizen. What an attitude! 

Why would we?

It's a society of corruption, greed, racism and selfishness which you appear to fully embrace.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, digibum said:

Or would you be against your private health insurance plan covering you for COVID because it wasn't stipulated in your plan?  Would you also phone them up and refuse free treatment because they have no right to alter your coverage? 

I don't have a private healthcare plan covering me for anything.

My family already had COVID right at the start (jan 2020), it wasn't any big deal.

[Wonderboy]

1 hour ago, digibum said:

 

Agreed.  And of all of the dual pricing issues, this one seems to be the most reasonable.  Thais are covered under the national health program.  It's not racism.  LOL. 

 

This is not about free healthcare. It is about stopping a deadly disease and testing should of course be free for anyone, even mandatory. It is not reasonable, as it is not about paying tax, it is about being foreigner or not. Foreigners with work permit are charged 500b, same as most places with dual pricing.

 

Thais want more tourists because they make money on them. It would only be reasonable that they could give something back in events like this. Dual pricing based on race/nationality is disgusting. Does not matter if the amount might not be that big.

Edited April 23, 2021 by Wonderboy
Spelling

[HappyinNE]

I do live in Thailand and the added charge to visit Phuket is just another reason I will not be visiting Phuket. By the way the dual pricing is not an advertisement that makes me more inclined to participate on any activity. 

[KarenBravo]

2 hours ago, WineOh said:

Tourists don't have their own vehicles tho do they bruv!

 

And that is what the island is desperate to get back aren't they?

 

I hope not a single soul returns to spend their hard earned money in that god forsaken place. 

 

So far, no incorrect statements from me.

What about the BS comment on drink prices and "the locals hate us" whine?

[hkt83100]

I moved from Phuket to Isaan almost three years ago after living on the island for more than 20 years, and I made worse decisions in my life.

[digibum]

5 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

Foreigners with work permit are charged 500b, same as most places with dual pricing.

 

And I said previously, that Thailand would do well to find a system that allowed foreigners with work permits or long-stay visas (1 year) to have an ID card so they could avoid this fees. 

 

The rest of what you said was just a rehash of stuff people have been saying since TVF had its first post.  Somehow it hasn't harmed tourism for over 20 years TVF has been around, probably won't hurt it going forward. 

[digibum]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My family already had COVID right at the start (jan 2020), it wasn't any big deal.

 

Well, we can all go back to normal then. 

 

It didn't harm me.  ????

[digibum]

2 minutes ago, hkt83100 said:

I moved from Phuket to Isaan almost three years ago after living on the island for more than 20 years, and I made worse decisions in my life.

 

Far fewer beaches in Isaan from what I hear ????

[graham Stuart]

Not Good

[digibum]

30 minutes ago, Chiang Mai Bill said:

I see no problem in giving the vaccine and tests free to one's own people -- and 'foreigners' having to pay!

 

And B500 isn't much -- not many beers!  Stop moaning!

 

Nobody is talking about the real victims in all of this. 

 

The TVF farangs. 

 

For years they talked about how without tourists, Thailand would slip back into becoming a third-world country.  They threatened to quit coming.  They threatened to leave.  They have posted tens of thousands of posts about how shortsighted Thailand is and how much the lack of their sweet, sweet money would be ruinous to the kingdom. 

 

Now, with Thailand having had almost a year of 0 new arrivals and most of the Thai economy humming along, all of their forecasts have been ruined. 

 

For just two Leos a day, you can help these poor victims of COVID.  Won't you help? 

[digibum]

28 minutes ago, high plane drifter said:

Thais will never make it easy for outsiders to live and spend foreign money in their country,

 

 

Yeah, it's almost like it's their country or something.  How presumptuous of them. 

 

BTW, they are simply charging people for a COVID test.  How is that making it harder to live in Thailand (given that this mostly impacts tourists) or spend money (they're actually making it very easy by making it a requirement)? 

 

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and the replies about trash on the beaches in Phuket have been removed. 

[SchuetzRob]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Who wants to go to the area which generates the greatest amount of Tourism in Thailand ????

 

erm.....  did you think about your question ?

 

 

 

 

Now, that is an argument????. We go to some place because everybody else is going????